The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-17
FRANK OZANNE INDICTED
THE CELEBRATED GoDwIN-DALToN
MURDER CASE REVIVED.
Charges OF Wholesale Bribery Supported
by the Testimony of Three Members
of the Jury-The End Said 10 Be
Away In the Future.


either languishes in Jail or escapes on the
courtesy and accommodation OF his we'll
to-,lo friends. "The city is awfully dull,
falls from lips on ono breath, the next
startlcs with the exclamation, "liave you
heard the scnsaton?" Thus has 1t again
come to pass.
Away back in December, 1856, over one
year ago, Russell Goodwin shot and killed
J. Thomas Dalton in the rotunds Of the
Peabody hotel. lie was promptly arrested,
jailed, and the latter part of January last
went to trial. After a long siege, during
which ihepublic was surfeited on salacious
literature, the jury got the case, and after
pro,racted delberation returned verdict
OF "not guilty." That settled it, So far as
The defendant was concerned.
Late yesterday afternoon the latest cdi-
ton OF the famous case came out. When
the grand jury reported, about 4 o'clock,
one OF the true bills, in three counts, was
against Frank 0zannc, the Second street
stove, ,inware and house furnishing goods
dealer. 0zanne was one Of the twelve jury
men in the celebrated case. In less than
ten minutes after the return, the fact was
known throughout the central part OF the
city. A warrant was issued by Deputy
Clerk Hunter, deputy sheriff found no
trouble in collarng his man, who was es-
cortcd TO the courtroom, and his bond
: was fixed at $1,000, being s. 1000 in each
OF the three cases. Mcssrs. Il. L. Me.
Gowan. John S. Tool and II. J. Black be-
came his sureties.
The indictments, three in number, are
founded upon the specific statements OF
two Of the Goodwin jury-Iloberl - Mat
thews and Victor II. Staples After recit.
ing the formal verbiagc as to the legal or.
gnnation Of the grand Jury, il presents
that, on the Goth day Of January. 1857,
Frank Ozanne, q citizen OF Shelby county
Tennessee, was duly elected, qualified aud
impnnccd TO try u certain causc--viZ: the
State OF Tennessee versus l.. X. Goodwin
for the murder OF j. Thomas Dalton, in
this city and State; and that rs such juror
lac did, on the day above mentioned. say
20 Robert S. Matthews, who was also 9
duly elected and qualified juror in the
same case, that ''ii he would return n yer
diet OF moi guilty in favor OF said Goodwin
and against tho State, that he (0zrnne
would pay him 81 600"
The second indictment isiounded on Tn,
statements OF Staples, and is in words ant
effect the same, with the variation tina
Staples alleges that Ozannc approached
lin and told him that he (Ozannel would
place note for 81 900 in the Mcrcantil,
bank, oi this city, and have il Endorsed
- would return verdict Of not guilty 70
Goodwin.
The third indictment, founded on th
statements OF Motthews and Staples
charges that in theirpresencc, on the abov
date, Ozannc proposed and promised 20
n Douglass, who was also a member q
the same Jury, that II he would return
verdict Il mot guilty" he would sc
I that a, the termination Of the trial mort
gagc for 5000 or $500 ON the property q
Douglass should be paid in full.
Matthews, II seems, Is tho man who in
tinted the exposure. lie Is the same ma
who has been in Jail for week or tw
past l0r obtaining money under ialse pr,
lenses. lie was, before he went on III
Jury, wood turner, employed at the e.
iablishmcnt OF Williamson & Co, recci'
ing about - so per day for his labol
Immediately after tho trial OF Goodwin b
started a saloon at No. l7O Main stree
giving $500 for II. He did not prosper !
businoss and several weeks ago, secin
| tlat his failure was only question OF WI
| biici Time, hc made arrangements to ~
out the business, and found n purchase
| The day before he perfected the sale, how
Over. he went 10 several business firm
and made considerable purchases on crcdi
and the next day sold out for casl
L a
sued and attached, and one Of them,
Main sircct tailor, went TO the extrcni'
al having him arrested for obtaining goo
under false prc,cnscs. This resulted
both Matthews and the tailor getting
iail, i0r the day after the tailor compr
missed the case for more than the suits
clothes cusi, and for compromising icloI
was himself landed behind the bans.
Willie Matthews was in Jail, and eN
IDENTITY wishing 10 make his peace with Il
Stale, lio sent Tor Attorney General Peter
i md very cOntritcly acknowledging Il
Aauy sins. told him Of how lac had 10,
aprnarhcd by Ozannc aud Offered bril-
al II, 600 n e would vote for the acguiti
ol Goodwin, but that he did not GIT II
money. lie went further, and gave u
names u other Jurors who had also be,
Il
were among the number. The names
Il several others Of the jury were also give
i hut ~ they have not yet appeared bcf0
tn grand jury their identity Is withheld
Staples, who lives out at Whit,
J s,s,ion. has also very sour
rcpuia,ion. Ills service on the Godw
iury came very near costing him sevci
wear az lilefty. lie had sworn, when l
ing examined for the panel, that lac was
Householder, which Is one OF tho prir
puuidtcs IN q Juror ON q trial for mupl,
IL WIS aiierward asCcftaincd that he "
no, q householder, but had been divpro
from his wife several years before
charges brought by her OF his cruelty NJ
habilual drunkenness. When the ne
gund Jury was convened, his false swcl
ing, by which he wis admitted 10 the jul
WI. brought to it, attention, and be "
indiclcd for perjury At his trial, a sh'
time afl,rward. hc narrowly escaped G,
yic.icn, and 10 direct was the proof ~
lis guilt that Judge DuIlosc severely u
nmandcd the jury ior returning n vcrd
oil acguitial.
Douglas. who lives on farm near ~
station, was sent for 10y the grand jury, !
no subpoena returned mot found.
Hicks, another member IL tho jury, v
bcforr the grand jury yesterday, and IN
what could be- cleaned 81 his evidence
20 the alleged bribcry, he seems TO hav'
very convenient memory. Asked as
whether n hribe was offered him,
1 scratched his head, and said: well, th
might have been, but ] can't rcmcm
exactly whether there VAS OF not
Z. II " expected that all q the jurors
' the celebrated case viii bc summoned
: fore the grand jury and the alleged roit
mes thoroughly ventilated.